The power system remains vulnerable and volatile but the risk of loadshedding is expected to be significantly reduced after September 2021, when Eskom’s reliability maintenance programme will be completed. The power entity says it’s making progress in the recovery of its operational performance, with its Generation Recovery Programme (9-Point Plan) and reliability maintenance recovery (RMR) programme beginning to show results. Despite the initial challenges posed by Covid-19 lockdown, high levels of maintenance had been sustained with planned maintenance gradually increasing to between 5 500MW and 7 000MW or approximately 12%, the entity said in a media release on Monday 15…
Author: Staff Reporter
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Being burgled at home while you’re asleep is bad enough. Having your laptop stolen in that raid takes a person’s distress to another level. For Hill 60 resident Bruce Maclean, it was catastrophic. “The impact was devastating,” he wrote in a Facebook post. Especially as my laptop had in excess of 314 000 files.” The burglars struck in the early hours of 17 February while the household was fast asleep. The stole two laptops, car keys, wallets, bank cards and other items. “Morning coffee at 5.30am and the sudden realisation that life as you knew it had changed,” Maclean wrote.…
Cabinet approves Land Administration, Land Tenure Reforms papers Cabinet has approved the draft position papers on Land Administration and Land Tenure Reforms in Communal Areas for further consultations with relevant stakeholders. Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, announced on Thursday morning when she briefed the media on the outcomes of the previous day’s Cabinet meeting. “The proposed reforms provide a legal framework to initiate the process of transferring communal land to persons or communities whose tenure of land is legally insecure,” said Ntshavheni. Meanwhile, according to Cabinet, these reforms will also expand the communal asset base to empower communities…
Poet, musician and champion of local literature Chris Mann died at his home in Makhanda this week after a two-year battle with cancer. He has been surrounded by his family during the past few weeks. There has been an outpouring of tributes on social media for the award winning Rhodes University Emeritus Professor of Poetry and founder of Wordfest South Africa. The funeral will be held in the Cathedral with a limited congregation on a date still to be confirmed and will be livestreamed for those who can’t attend. Chris leaves behind his wife Julia, son Luke, daughter Amy, daughter-in-law…
South Africa has exhausted its first batch of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in two weeks, with 83 570 healthcare workers vaccinated as of Wednesday. “We are very encouraged that our first target of exhausting the first batch of 80 000 vaccines from Johnson & Johnson in two weeks has been achieved and exceeded. “We have taken every opportunity to learn from this process and continue to refine the programme in preparation for the rollout to the larger community in the subsequent phases,” said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize. The first consignment of the single-dose vaccine arrived in South…
“The St Andrew’s College matric class of 2020 has produced a superb set of results in both the IEB and the Cambridge International A Level examinations,” said Alan Thompson, St Andrew’s College Headmaster. “These results are a reflection of the extraordinary commitment of boys and staff under the challenging circumstances of 2020. “I am delighted with these results, as our academic excellence strategy of the past three years is really adding value to the St Andrew’s College offering. This strategy has seen a full rebuild of our academic facilities and an overhaul of our curriculum (of which the introduction of…
The Kingswood College Matric class of 2020 gathered a total of 95 distinctions. Kingswood Senior School Head Tracy van Molendorff said: “We are incredibly proud of the class of 2020. They have shown true grit, resilience and determination amidst a year of uncertainty, on-line learning and a pandemic that resulted in a new reality for their matric class. “We commend those who achieved distinctions and are incredibly proud of those who, through perseverance, achieved beyond our expectations. The committed and dedicated academic staff are to be commended on the way that they approached a year no one had prepared for,…
The Diocesan School for Girls’ attained a 100% BD (Bachelor’s Degree) pass rate for the second consecutive year. Of all the subject symbols achieved, 35% were distinctions and 37% were B-symbols. The school’s 2020 Dux Scholar, Ivana Stevens, achieved seven distinctions. Kelby Barker, Leah Micklewright and Duki Sonuga achieved six distinctions each. Kelby Barker narrowly missed her seventh subject distinction by one percent. Acacia Bell, Emily de Kock, Mikayla Eksteen, Emma Mulcahy, Oyama Mzayidume and Torva Sharwood achieved five distinctions each. Seven girls achieved four distinctions each and another nineteen achieved three distinctions each. Oyama Mzayidume and Yolisa Ngcola were listed in…
The Makhanda matriculants of 2020 defied the odds to produce a remarkable set of results. Amid the doom, gloom and school closures of last year, most amazingly and surprisingly, they produced the best-ever city pass rate of 80%. This places the city twelve percentages points higher than the provincial average and re-establishes it as the leading education hub in the Eastern Cape. As far as individual school performance is concerned, Victoria Girls’ High School led the way with a perfect 100% pass rate, closely followed by Graeme College, PJ Olivier and Ntsika. Not only is the pass rate outstanding, but…
A 36-year-old woman was arrested and R300 000 of drugs seized from her N Street, Tantyi home in Makhanda on Wednesday 17 February. Grahamstown Narcotic K9 Bayley and his handler Sergeant Stembele Gqomo were part of the team who conducted the search and arrest operation. “Bayley displayed enthusiasm throughout and led the team to a consignment of drugs including mandrax, tik and ‘rock’, also known as crack cocaine,” police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said. Acting District Commissioner for the Sarah Baartman District Brigadier John Lebok commended the team. “Our four legged partners constantly prove to be one of our most valuable…